iPhone Apps

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

For any of you with an iPhone, or iPod Touch, if you don't regularly update your apps, you should do so over the next few weeks. In anticipation of the release of the iPad on Saturday many application developers are releasing new versions of their apps with support for the larger iPad screen as well as many new features.

Of particular note here, is the Navionics Charting app. They released a new version today that not only supports the iPad but added a really cool feature for all users. You can now turn on Google Maps overlays. You can choose from Map, Satelite, or hybrid. The app puts in the Google map data in for the land area and uses the Navionics vector chart data for the water area. Some very high end chartplotters do this, but to have it in your hand on you phone or iPod is really cool. For $9.99 this app is the deal of the century in the Navigation charting world. To get the app and your choice of a huge Navionics Gold chart region for this price is amazing.

The app also has the best tides and currents info I have found yet in an iPod app with a very intuitive display. They include a large number of stations scattered all over the region you choose.


Most of the other apps that pushed out today also said they were updating to a universal app with new features and screen layouts that support the bigger iPad screen as well without pixel doubling.

[Obelix]

Hi Duane,

Are you sure the app comes with the map for $9.99?
I looked on their site and it seemed the map was sold seperately.

But then, maybe I just had a brain fart??

Thanks

Obelix

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Just checked the app store. Looks like the price has gone up to between $14.99 and $19.99, still a great deal.

Just search in the iTunes store for 'Navionics' and click 'See All'. You'll find a large number of apps such as 'Marine: US East', ' Marine: US West', 'Marine: British Columbia', etc.. Each of these gets you the app and the chart data for the region referred to in the title.

For instance I purchased 'Marine: British Columbia'. It includes the app and chart data from Oregon all the way north up the BC coast to Alaska as well as all the way around Vancouver Island. If you click on 'More Information' you'll get the details of the coverage for instance the 'British Columbia' one says "Coastal nautical charts from Lituya Bay, Alaska to Siuslaw River, Oregon". Also in the screen shots if you scroll to the far left you will see a picture of the data region that is included.

Beware, you might want to download it using iTunes and then sync the app to your phone, or at least be on WiFi. The app and chart data is huge compared to most apps, the BC version is 129Mb.

There are marine charts for many other countries as well. There are also versions with Lakes charts as well as skiing maps.

Note apple also just pushed a new version of iTunes no doubt to support the iPad.

[blue angel]

Duanne et al. I will be curious how the ipad works out for on boat work. will it be readable in sunlight, if there is connect to a gps etc. if it is only used for planning at home, we can do that on existing computers. so the only use on board will basically be as an electronic map?

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Personally I don't think any larger computer, a normal laptop of the iPad belongs in the cockpit of our boats. If I read the specs right, it has the same features as the iPod Touch which does not have a GPS like the iPhone does. Unless they have enhanced the Bluetooth stack in the iPad, it also will not support a Bluetooth GPS. I can't find any hard specs. The iPad does support a Bluetooth keyboard according to some reviews so maybe there is hope for the GPS.

I do really like the Navionics software on my iPod Touch and I think it would be even better on the iPhone with it's GPS. It's very nice to have a reference chart in your pocket were ever you go. Having just a reference chart on the larger iPad does not seem as practical.

I do however think the iPad would be a very useful device to have around the house. There's nothing my wife uses her laptop for that could not be done just as well or better on the iPad. Probably 80% of what I use my laptop for could also be accomplished on an iPad. More and more, if you have a browser you have almost every app you need at your disposal.

Perhaps I'll end up with an iPad in time, but for now I am very happy with my iPod Touch. To call it an iPod is a dis-service, it's really the best pocket computer that has yet to hit the market. It blows away every other Palm and Windows Pocket computer I have owned over the years, and my bottom drawer is full of them. Aside from the phone functionality, even my Blackberry can't match it. If only the darn iPhone wasn't locked to AT&T, Apple could easily have triple the sales if it was available for all the carriers like a Blackberry is.

[c130king]

Pretty sure in the reviews I read says that one of the down sides to the IPad is no USB ports so I don't think you can hook up a GPS that way either.

Jim

[Obelix]

Hello Duane,

I got it, thank you for the info.

Regards

Obelix

[Kelly Hanson East]

You do get bluetooth with the Ipad, so you could talk to a GPS that is bluetooth enabled. No USB on the Ipad, correct. Ill definitely hold out for the 3G version.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

There is Bluetooth, both in the iPod Touch and the iPad. Unfortunately Apple did not implement a complete set of drivers in the iPod Touch. It's Bluetooth stack only supports audio. It sounds like they went a step further in the iPad and added support for Bluetooth Keyboards as they are selling one and reviews say 3rd party keyboards work as well. No one has mentioned if the stack also has the drivers needed for Bluetooth GPS.

I know on the iPod Touch if you jailbreak your device there are full Bluetooth stacks available that support GPS. I'm sure the same will be possible on a iPad, but so far I've not wanted to go to the hassel of jailbreaking my Touch.

Tom Tom also has a GPS for the iPhone and iPod Touch that uses the standard Apple connector at the bottom. I would think that the same thing could be done for the iPad as it has the exact same connector.

While the iPad does not have a physical USB port, the sync cable with the Apple connector on one end and USB on the other does provide USB connectivity. I'm sure some EE types could work out a way to connect a GPS without to much trouble.

[Terry]

THe iPad model with WiFi+3G has what they call assisted GPS, see tech specs:
http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/
I don't know what assisted means but I have read many interpretations of it.

[hart]

Well, I paid the $14 for the iPhone version and I've been playing with it while I eat lunch. Man that's cool. Having the local tide info integrated will be very helpful. Thanks for the heads up Duane. This may be the most useful app I've downloaded yet - tough call though, the wordpress for iphone app is very useful if you blog with WP.

I've plotted out this weekend's route and I'm all set to test it out.

[elvatoli]

So with the itouch 3G you dont need to have a cell phone contract (iphone), in order to have GPS signal ?
Can you use the charts, like a charplotter with this GPS signal ?
If you buy a Garmin 545 will go for $700 and the chart for yor are will be $150 dlls. I know is a lot more detail but for a lot more money ?

Hector
RGV, Tx

[Kelly Hanson East]

Out at sea, even coastal cruising, you wont have wifi so you wont get a GPS reading without 3G and contract, I believe.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Just to clarify some things.

iPod Touch
The iPod Touch (some call it the iTouch) has no internal 3G cell capability in any version and it has no internal GPS capability in any version. Using Navionics charts on the iPod Touch is purely for reference purposes, It has WiFi only.

What appears to be location sensing technology in it is really just a crude lookup of the location of the WiFi SSID you are attached to in a location database. Some company has trucks running around every street sniffing the WiFi signals and documenting their locations. This is what the iPod Touch uses to reference it's location. Obviously this will not work at sea.

Also without the a WiFi connection you will not be able to get the Google map content to overlay the chart.

There are two options to augment these capabilities in a iPod Touch when at sea. For a WiFi connection on the move you could buy a MiFi devices and service from one of the cellular companies. In essence this would bridge the internal WiFi radio of the iPod Touch to a 3G cellular data network and would allow you to get the google content for overlays. It will not however help the location issue, you still have no GPS and your WiFi SSID is not going to be in any one place that can be referenced. So far I've found only one 3rd party GPS that will work with a non-jailbrokken iPod Touch and that is the external GPS cradle from Tom Tom. If you JailBreak your Touch there are ways to then update the Bluetooth stack and use Bluetooth GPS's with the device.

iPhone
The iPhone has both 3G cell capability and an internal GPS. One is not dependent on the other. Even if you are out of cell range the GPS will still work and you will get an accurate position on your chart. 3G Cell connectivity is not needed for the GPS to function.

iPad
The iPad WiFi models (the one out now) has the same limitations as the iPod touch as far as connectivity an GPS functions. The iPad with 3G (out next month) will have both 3G data connectivity for content when in cell range, and a internal GPS that will show your location at all times even when out of cell service. The 'assisted GPS' mentions allows the device to also use cell tower triangulation and WiFi SSID look up as well as the location from the GPS chip. This really doesn't have an impact when out boating as you should have no problem receiving the GPS signal out in open water. It really is just to help in crowded urban environments and inside buildings where the GPS signal can drop out at times.

Chart Content
The Navionics vector charts are the exact same charts you get in any marine chartplotter that uses their data. It is not lower fidelity. The charts in my iPod touch are identical to the ones in the SD chip in my Eagle chartplotter installed in my boat. They both not only have the identical chart data but they both also have the same tides and current data as well as the same marina info. Likewise if you use one of the apps that uses the raster versions of charts such as Memory Map or XNav, their charts are the full blown complete NOAA charts that are used in any of the raster navigation applications on any PC.

There is no extra detail on the charts in the Garmin or any other chartplotters compared to what you get in these iPod/iPhone/iPad apps. Now that the Navionics app has added the Google overlays you even get the satellite views that up to now have only been in very high end chartplotters.

[TrueNorth]

Duane,

I am in need of a backup GPS -Chartplotter for AK cruising.

Would the Navionics Charting app. on iPhone work? How would you deal with waterproofing the iPhone in the cockpit? [Maybe an Otterpack or a Mophie Juice Pack Air, which will also double battery life?] How is the GPS reception?

I am up for new contract and am thinking about an iPhone... Which iPhone would you recommend I get?

Thanks for your posts and great mods.

Alaska Joe